Water-supply system.



vNo. 866,156. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. F, W. MOGAIN.

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION mam) HA3. 6. 1907.

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51 monitor 1% b1 eases No. 866.156- 7 PATENTED SEPT. 17,1907.

F. W. MQGAIN.

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED IAB. 6. 1907.

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FRANCIS W. MCCAIN, OF MIDWAY, WEST VIRGINIA.-

WATER-SUPPLY SYSTEM.

so. 866,1 5o.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed March 6,1907. Serial No-. 360,813-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Framers W. MCCAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midway, in the county of Putnam and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Supply Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a water supply system, and has for its object to obtain from a well sufficient water to supply a city or town, and to this end the invention consists in a novel construction and method of operating the well as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a well constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views on the lines 2-2, 33 and 44, respectively,

of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention I first drill a number of test wells in the ordinary way to find water. the one which has the greatest flow of water and sink a shaft 4 of any desired diameter. Such of the test wells which are not used will be plugged up to prevent impure water from getting into the other well. The shaft is continued until a good rock formation is reached, and it is then walled up and cemented as indicated at 5 in Fig. I to make it water-tight and shut off all surface water. The shaft is then continued through the different formations or stratas of rock and clay. If any undesirable water such as is generally found in clay and black slate is encountered, it will be shut out of the well by walling it up or in any other suitable manner. Any strata found that needs curbing to prevent falling or caving in will be walled or cemented. When a horizontal crevice is encountered from which desirable water flows, I extend wing dams 6 from opposite sides of the well which concentrate the flow of the water from a large area of the crevice and direct it 'to the well. These dams are built in each horizontal crevice encountered as the shaft is sunk which will be continued until the desired flow of water is had. In the drawings I have shown three of such crevices in each of which the wing dams are built according to the direction the water is flowing which is indicated by arrows in Figs. 2 to 4. It will be seen from these views that a large volume of water which would otherwise flow past the shaft is collected by the dams and directed to the shaft. The dams will be built of any suitable material and extended into the crevices as far as prac- I choose ticable. Below the last crevice the shaft is enlarged to form a reservoir 7 of suitable size and shape into which the water from the various crevices flows. At any place in the shaft, above the reservoir 7, is made a chamher 8 in which a pump 9 is placed for raising the water from the reservoir. The suction-pipe 10 of the pump extends into the reservoir, and the delivery-pipe 11 connects with the supply-main 12 at the surface. The surplus water flows into a tank 13 located at any convenient place having a suitable elevation to obtain sufficient pressure for use in case of fire or break down of the pump. The pump can be driven by an electric motor or other suitable power. The shaft has a cover 14 and suitable means are also provided so that access may be had to the pump.

The operation of the system herein described is inexpensive, and its initial cost is small as only a small plot of ground is needed. The latter is an important factor if the price of land is high. The reservoir 7 is safe from the contamination to which reservoirs at the surface are liable, so that a pure supply of water is assured. The system can also be used for irrigation purposes.

The manner of building the wing dams will depend somewhat on the size of the crevice. For a crevice up to three inches deep I prefer to use asbestos packing calked solid between two strips of wood placed as far apart as necessary to hold the pressure of water. The packing is put in in smallquantities at a time and tamped solid with a rammer to suit the purpose. Instead of asbestos, cement maybe used, the strips being left in the crevice until the cement has set. Cement is preferable where the crevices are larger.

I claim:

1. A well comprising a shaft sunk through a water-bearing' crevice, and having a wing-dam extending into the crevice, and inclined toward the shaft with respect to the direction of the flow in the crevice.

2. A well comprising a shaft sunk through water-bean ing crevices, and having wing-dams "extending into the crevices from opposite sides of the shaft, and inclined toward the shaft with respect to' the direction of flow in the CI'GVICES.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS W. MCCAIN.

Witnesses WM. P. FLocK, MINA IIIGGINBOTI'IAM. 

